


Zero Hours

by crudescere



Category: GOT7, JJ Project
Genre: Birthday, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, jjp
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-01-05
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:35:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,122
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22134154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crudescere/pseuds/crudescere
Summary: Jinyoung is in Taiwan, filming a movie, and it’s  Jaebeom’s birthday back in Korea.
Relationships: Im Jaebum | JB/Park Jinyoung
Comments: 20
Kudos: 184





	Zero Hours

Jinyoung thinks that this is the farthest he’s been away from the members on his own. Usually, it’s Jackson with his endless schedules all over the planet, Mark with his magazine and advertisement deals in China, or Bambam with his countless bookings and events in Thailand. Jinyoung is usually the one who stays in their homeland, and although he’s spent his fair share of distance from the rest with his previous filmings and personal commercial deals – he feels a bit off being  _ this  _ far away from  _ him _ . Especially on this day.

It’s not like he planned it. People decided for him and before he knows it, he’s in Taiwan, one thousand four hundred eighty four kilometers away from Jaebeom – five minutes before it strikes midnight in Seoul and signal the elder’s birthday. Really, he doesn’t have a say in the matter. It’s not like he’s in any position to influence the filming schedule; he’s just another actor in the movie. He doesn’t have the power to pause the shooting schedule and fly back to South Korea just because of a birthday. God, he’s not that unreasonable. It’s not even the first time he’s not going to be present during their leader’s birthday. It has happened before – he had been busy with yet another private schedule and had to send birthday greetings to Jaebeom through text. Still, they had been in the same country and they met up the next week to make up for the missed date.

So this distance, this cold Taiwan weather, the fact that he couldn’t just drive to Jaebeom’s flat to make sure that the elder isn’t freezing in Korea’s harsher winter – Jinyoung feels odd.

It isn’t his style, however, to wait for the zeroes in the clock to be straight, in perfect sequence; isn’t his style to sacrifice much needed sleep to anticipate the next day so precisely. But he feels odd and he thinks Jaebeom does too.

His present will be delivered to Jaebeom’s doorstep around midday, he thinks. But really, there are no gifts in the world, no amount of money, to express his feelings for this day that only comes once a year. So even if he’s a little embarrassed, a little weirded out by trying to breach that gap between them – he picks up his phone, scrolls through his contacts, waits for the clock to strike midnight, and pressed call.

The line connects and the first thing he hears is a deep rumble of incoherent sentence, words slurred together so messily that for a second, Jinyoung thinks it’s not in Korean.

“‘Nyoung?” Jaebeom says with a yawn and then it clicks – Jaebeom has been asleep. Jinyoung smiles.

“You were asleep?”

Jinyoung hears shuffling at the other end of the line, a meow, and then a hiss. Jaebeom must have rolled over Nora again and the poor feline protested using her very sharp nails. She treats Jaebeom as a scratch post most of the time and Jinyoung can clearly picture Jaebeom’s pout as he stares at his daughter’s rebellious stint.

“Yes and you should be too,” Jaebeom mumbles, half-asleep. “It’s late there, Jinyoungie. Why did you call?”

Now, it’s Jinyoung’s turn to pout. “Do you even know what date today is?”

A pause. Jinyoung rolls his eyes. He’s dead sure that Jaebeom just looked at the digital clock he has by the bed. “Uhh, 6? It’s midnight here, Jinyoungie. It just turned January 6.”

“Exactly,” Jinyoung hisses. He’s alone in the accommodation that will be his home for at least two months, or however long the first half of filming would take, that the management has provided. And although no one’s around, Jinyoung keeps his voice low. It feels more intimate that way, like he and Jaebeom are in the same space, in the same time zone. “It’s your birthday, idiot.” Then in a lighter, more sincere voice, “Happy birthday, hyung.”

“Oh, I totally forgot. Thank you, Jinyoung.” Jaebeom’s voice is now higher, clearer, devoid of the haze from slumber. “Though it’s very unlike you to pull cheesy stuff like this. What, did you wait for midnight here to greet me?”

“So what if I did? It’s your special day so be grateful I stayed up this late.”

“You’re so cute,” Jaebeom chuckles. “I’m touched.”

“Don’t make me regret calling you,” Jinyoung warns but his words are empty of threat. His face feels warm and he’s glad, for the first time, that there are seas separating them.

“I’m not making fun of you. Really, thank you. Let’s meet up as soon as you land back here,” Jaebeom says slowly, “It’s not even a week yet and I already miss you.”

Jinyoung falls to the plush mattress of the bed, pillows puffing out all around him and although they are not the broad shoulders that he loves to rest his head on, not the firm chest he loves to bury his face in – they make him less lonely. “I miss you too, hyung.”

He still remembers the first time they met at the company’s audition, two young and innocent souls filled with aspirations, passion and determination. Jinyoung can still picture the adolescent boy that took everyone’s breath away with his dance, can still see that very performance, can still pinpoint the exact twist and smile that made his heart flutter. Jinyoung will forever be thankful for the universe for allowing them to meet, for placing them together in that audition, for making it so that they last this long. A decade is not a short time but Jinyoung doesn’t want this to end. He still reels, when he lays at night with too much thought and sleep far away, still gets utterly dumbstruck that out of the million people on the planet, in the crowds of hundreds and thousands, they found their way to each other. It’s definitely a miracle, Jinyoung thinks, to be this happy because of the existence of one person.

The sudden onslaught of emotions brings a newfound courage within him. Jinyoung is an affectionate person but he shows it more subtly than the others. He isn’t like Jackson who doesn’t have any reservations when it comes to his professions towards their eldest hyung; not like Mark who, in his silence and calmness, never shies away from Jackson. He isn’t like Youngjae who freely expresses how important the maknaes are to him through sweet and sincere love songs; not like Bambam who throws himself on the laps of Youngjae and Yugyeom and boldly snakes his arms around; not like Yugyeom, who despite being the youngest, is brave enough to stand his ground and reassure his boyfriends that no amount of outside friends judging their relationship will derail him from adoring them with his entire heart. 

He doesn’t compose love songs, doesn’t write poetry like Jaebeom. He’s more of the observant type – the one who watches Jaebeom to know if the slouch in his posture is just exhaustion or something more serious like back pains, the one who peers over the other’s plate during meal times to make certain that Jaebeom isn’t compromising health for dieting, the one who listens intently for the huffs and hitches during phone calls so much so that he knows if he needs to come over to Jaebeom’s home before the elder sinks into another self-deprecating episode. 

He loves without flare, without flash and dazzle. But he supposes he can be honest this time. It’s Jaebeom’s special day after all. 

“Hyung,” he starts, staring at the ceiling wide eyed and chest bursting full from the love he feels, “You sleepy?”

“Hmmm, not anymore really. Not going to hang up unless you want. Do you?”

“Nope. You don’t think I’d willingly risk literally one late night to spend time with my boyfriend who’s having their birthday? You wound me, hyung.”

“Hey, hey, I didn’t say that!” Jaebeom whines and Jinyoung can’t help turning to his side and burying his face against the hotel room’s plush pillow. “You know I’m only worried for you. God knows you’ll blame me again when the stylists scold you for dark circles.”

Jinyoung puts his phone on loudspeaker and snuggles deep in the covers, chasing that sense of warmth and security only Jaebeom could offer. 

“Hyung, listen to me? And don’t laugh, okay? I have something to tell you.”

Jaebeom chuckles, “I can’t promise you anything but I will listen to you, you know that. Always. Just speak and I’m all ears.”

“You know how it’s just a regular day for the rest of the world? People would wake up and go to work, to school, do their normal routine. But not me. Not me, hyung. I couldn’t sleep thinking about how I’m so lucky that we found each other and that you’ve stayed with me throughout these years. And I don’t know why or if you’ve noticed but I’m always more excited for your birthday than mine.

Even more than New Year, hyung. I feel like your birthday has more significance than the new year. How crazy is that, right? It’s like all the fireworks and red packets are general things that everyone enjoy. And while everyone is excited to turn a new leaf, to leave everything bad behind, I am more excited at  _ your _ another chance to start something new. Your birthday is so well placed, at the beginning of the year, and I can only hope and wish you greater things in life. You deserve it, Jaebeom hyung. And I just pray that as you enter another chapter of your life, you’d still take me with you.”

Jinyoung sucks in a breath. He has rambled too much, exposed himself too much. But the phone call gives a thin sheet of barrier between them so he took the chance. He isn’t sure he can be this honest when they’re face to face. No one suspects but Jinyoung’s brain turn into a useless mush when Jaebeom’s around. 

“Yah! How can you say all that through the phone!” Jaebeom exclaims, “And not even a video call?”

“No, hyung. I’m too embarrassed to show my face right now.”

“You really are something else, Park Jinyoung. How can you say that when I’m not there to kiss you senseless? When I can’t show you just how much I want, no,  _ need  _ you to be with me every step of the way. Not just this year but forever as long as you’re willing?” Jaebum puffs, “You are so unfair!”

Jinyoung heard Jaebeom’s signature grumble and he thinks that the rapid beat of his pulse and the slight difficulty in breathing are all worth it. 

“Hyung?”

“What now?”

“Happy birthday. Thank you for being born, thank you for being with me.”

“Oh, Jinyoung. You don’t have to thank me for that. It happens. People are born, they find their heart, the other half of their soul, then they become happy.”

Jinyoung almost chokes with the emotions that surge up his throat. “Are you? Are you happy?”

“Where did I lose you? Of course, I’m happy!”

“Ugh, I can’t believe you called me your soulmate. How cringey.”

Jaebeom just lets out a hearty laugh and Jinyoung doesn’t feel lonely or cold anymore. 

“You know, other people are more ecstatic when their boyfriends call them soulmates.” Jinyoung can almost see Jaebeom rolling his eyes in mock frustration. “You can at least pretend that made you giddy. You know, my birthday and all.”

Jinyoung giggles. “No need to. I don’t need to pretend, hyung. Not with you.”

“Ugh! I’ve always hated how you’re such a smooth talker.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Yeah, you’re right, I don’t.”

They bask in silence for a beat, no talking, no noises. Just listening to each other’s breathing, finding comfort in the familiar pattern, imagining that they are not separated by kilometers upon kilometers of water and land. 

“Alright. It’s time for bed. I’ve greeted you already. And the first one at that. I need to sleep now and so do you.”

“Fine. Thank you, really, for the greeting. And good night. Sleep well, my Jinyoungie. See you soon.”

“You too, hyung. Good night. I can’t wait to come back home.”

Jaebeom waits for Jinyoung to hang up like he always do. It’s routine for them that it’s Jinyoung who ends the calls. Both don’t know how that happened but like most things that occurred to them, it just did and they have no complains. Not when Jaebeom doesn’t have the heart to hang up and Jinyoung enjoys having that control over ending the conversation or prolonging it. 

And he makes sure to use that tiny bit of control to the fullest. So before Jinyoung hits the red button, he adds. 

“And, oh, hyung? I love you.”

  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Hi! So I originally didn’t plan to write a fic for today but man, as soon as the clock struck 12 - I was possessed by a Jaebeom loving spirit. It’s past 3 am right now here and I literally wrote this in two hours. Might not be the best but I just had to project my love for our leader.  
> I made stuff up. Of course, Jinyoung is back in Korea. I just wanted them doing something like long distance calls ahahaha.  
> Also inspired by Happy Birthday by NEWS. Listen to it, y’all feel all soft and fluffy lol
> 
> So yeah, happy birthday Jaebeom!!!i


End file.
